This invention relates to the preparation of decorative light-emitting plastic for the purpose of preparing unique ornamental designs for both residential and commercial applications. More particular, the invention herein relates to the use of generally transparent plastic material, uniformly colored on one side and protected, providing a unique back-lit illumination effect or unique decorative surface appearance as applied to a variety of artistic/decorative applications.
The use of plastic material, and more specifically, transparent plastic material, for decorative applications, is well-known. Along such lines, acrylic materials, both in clear form and in solid color form, have been available for quite some time. For example, a xe2x80x9cPLEXIGLASxe2x80x9d brand acrylic is a cast thermoplastic acrylic sheet produced in a number of formulations to provide specific physical properties for a number of applications. Along such lines, solid color translucent acrylic sheets are widely used in the illuminated sign industry. xe2x80x9cPLEXIGLASxe2x80x9d is a registered trademark for such acrylic sheets of the Rohm and Haas Company. In addition, xe2x80x9cLUCITExe2x80x9d acrylic sheets have been available from DuPont de Nemours and Co. Both brands of acrylic sheet have therefore found there way into decorative consumer products.
However, one long-standing problem with acrylic sheet is that such material is prone to scratching, and efforts have centered around the preparation of an acrylic based material that would be scratch-resistant. In that regard, abrasion resistant acrylic sheet has been made available where optical quality, cleanability, and long-term retention of properties is important. Such material has been offered by DuPont under the name xe2x80x9cLUCITE SARxe2x80x9d, which is said to comprise a cross-linked polysilicate resin to provide the acrylic sheet with a combination of properties including abrasion resistance, solvent resistance and weatherability. In addition, a product presumably offering similar characteristics is sold under the trademark xe2x80x9cACRIVUExe2x80x9d is available from Swedlow, Inc., Garden Grove, Calif.
The use of colorful and durable sheets of other non-acrylic materials as a surface for various articles of furniture also exists in the prior art. For example, the use of the well-known xe2x80x9cFORMICAxe2x80x9d brand laminate on counter tops is well known. In addition, other similar materials generally of a solid color, or of a marbled decorative pattern because of the nature of the process to form the laminate, have been used as a decorative outer layer for furniture or accessories.
It has, however, been difficult to produce a colorful, durable, and decorative transparent or translucent surfacing made from acrylic or polycarbonate sheets. This problem is largely founded on obstacles to patterning the coloring in a contemporaneous fashion and in a manner which is bright, lustrous, and resistant to fading, while at the same time exhibiting colors which are extraordinarily brilliant and exhibit an apparent depth which is attractive to the eye.
Along such lines, the painting of acrylic sheets with an acrylic lacquer is known in the prior art. Where acrylic paints have been applied to the outer surface of the acrylic sheet, such paints have been handpainted and highly rubbed to provide a brilliant, lustrous finish. Such processing, however, is time consuming and expensive. In addition, such articles have suffered from the problem of chipping, peeling and fading. Specifically, the backpainting of acrylic sheets with an acrylic lacquer is reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,235 to DeWitt which discloses an acrylic coating composition for use in back-painting impact-resistant acrylic sheets for use as signs.
In addition, attention is directed at U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,603 which recites a method of making a laminate and articles of furniture wherein a transparent acrylic sheet is coated with an acrylic paint coating composition on one side in a predetermined color and decorative pattern. The coated sheet is then coated with an acrylic primer coating composition over the acrylic paint coating. The sheet is then adhesively secured to a backing member such as barrel board for fabrication into furniture.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,698 there is disclosed a method of making a decorative laminated article comprising the steps of providing an acrylic sheet, and applying a clear urethane coating composition, and applying a water-based or latex color coating over the urethane coating and bonding the sheet to a backing member comprising a fiber composition.
However, upon review of all of the above, it becomes clear that none of these approaches of the prior art has been entirely satisfactory in at least three significant respects. The first relates to the depth, color and brilliance heretofore exhibited by painted acrylic lacquer sheets. The second relates to the ability to form patterns on the acrylic sheet of a contemporary design on a selective/custom basis for use in manufacturing contemporary back-lit sheeting designs thereby providing a xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d lighting effect, entirely pleasing to the viewer, and of a quality and durability that has not yet been attainable. And finally, the third unresolved problem has been that the various surfaces that have been previously prepared, such as glossy, matte, or other type of texture has not been renewable if damaged by use or vandalism.
Thus, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a transparent or translucent plastic material design, of layered construction, which is bright, lustrous, and resistant to fading and scratching, while at the same time being relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which maintains such properties as applied to either a commercial or residential design application.
It is also a further object of this invention to provide a transparent or translucent plastic material particularly suitable for back-lighting which again permits the use of color of extraordinary brilliance and depth, while at the same providing the colors with protection from chipping, peeling, and fading.
In addition, it is also an object of this invention to provide a durable and decorative transparent material for decorative applications, which is xe2x80x9cdouble-sidedxe2x80x9d in the sense that it transmits different color patterns on each side of equivalent quality as in a xe2x80x9csingle-sidedxe2x80x9d configuration.
More specifically, it is an object of this invention to develop and apply a unique oil-based coating composition, and more specifically an alkyd-type mixture, combined with powdered pigments, that uniquely adheres to transparent or translucent plastic materials, to provide a vibrant yet pleasing color transmission for use in either a commercial or residential decorative application.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a review of the detailed description of the invention which follows.
In product form, the invention first comprises a transparent/translucent plastic sheet material with a pair of opposed surfaces, wherein one surface is of a matte finish, and wherein the opposite surface is coated with a color coating composition. The aforementioned colored sheet material is adhered to another sheet material similarly coated, to provide a double-side product each with either the same or different color pattern, wherein the color patterns are protected by their back-to-back configuration. Each colored coating of such double-side product remains capable of a back-lighting effect.
In method form, the present invention relates to a method of preparing a decorative laminated article comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a first transparent/translucent plastic sheet with a pair of opposed surfaces
(b) applying a matte finish to one surface of the transparent sheet
(c) applying a color coating composition over that surface of the sheet that is not of a matte finish, wherein said color coating composition comprises a liquid based coating composition combined with a powdered pigment.
(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) above to produce a second transparent/translucent plastic sheet containing a matte finish and color coating and joining said first and second sheet with said matte finish of said sheets facing outward.